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Diploid cells have two sets of chromosomes, while haploid cells have one. The human body is mostly diploid, with only germ cells being haploid. Diploid cells can divide to create haploid cells for reproduction. Meiosis ensures genetic diversity. Ploidy is important in understanding heredity and dominant/recessive traits.
Diploid is a term used to describe a cell that contains two complete sets of chromosomes. Most mammals, including humans, have mostly diploid cells. The generic term “ploidy” is used to refer loosely to the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell, and animals can exhibit a wide variety of forms of ploidy. A haploid cell, for example, has only one set of chromosomes, while a tetraploid cell has four.
Chromosomes contain genetic material that is used to code an organism, such as a set of blueprints for life. A single diploid stem cell can multiply and divide in an entire organism under the right conditions, and when that organism is born, its cells will continue to multiply and divide until they die. Diploid cells can also divide to create haploid cells which contain half of the genetic material of the parent cell. These haploid cells can be used in reproduction, with two haploid cells from different parents joining together to create a single diploid stem cell that mixes the parents’ genetic material.
With the exception of germ cells in the testicles and ovaries, all cells in the human body are diploid in nature, with a full set of genetic patterns. Within each cell, only certain parts of the genome are activated, and these determine what kind of cell it will be: hair and skin cells, for example, are very different. The human body is constantly evolving and developing, so these cells must be able to keep multiplying throughout life.
Together, the chromosomes in a diploid cell are homologous, with each chromosome in one set containing a counterpart in the other set with which it can mate during meiosis. During this process, chromosomes pair up with their counterparts and exchange genetic material. When the chromosomes separate again, the child chromosomes are different from the parents. This ensures that the haploid cells used in reproduction all contain a different mix of genetic material, which contributes to genetic diversity and makes for a more resilient species.
Understanding ploidy can be important in understanding heredity. For example, the fact that genetic material is mixed each time haploid cells are created is important, because it explains why children of the same parents can be so radically different, each containing a different mix of genetic information. Ploidy also explains how dominant and recessive traits work; with a recessive trait, someone must inherit a gene in both sets of chromosomes, while dominant traits occur when only one set contains the gene.
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